US-20260130134-A1 - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AND METHOD FOR FORMING THE SAME

Abstract

A phase change material switching circuit may be provided by forming a semiconductor circuit including a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier on a substrate; forming metal interconnect structures embedded in first dielectric material layers over the power amplifier and the low noise amplifier; forming a first phase change material (PCM) switch and a second PCM switch over the first dielectric material layers, wherein the first PCM switch includes a first electrode and a second electrode, and the second PCM switch includes a third electrode and a fourth electrode, wherein the second electrode is electrically connected to the third electrode to form a common electrical node; and electrically connecting a radio-frequency (RF) antenna to the common electrical node.

Inventors

• Kuo-Pin Chang
• Ching-En Chen
• Wei Ting Hsieh
• Yu-Wei Ting
• Kuo-Ching Huang
• Hung-Ju Li

Assignees

• TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20241101

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method of forming a device structure, comprising: forming a semiconductor circuit including a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier on a substrate; forming metal interconnect structures within first dielectric material layers over the power amplifier and the low noise amplifier; forming a first phase change material (PCM) switch and a second PCM switch over the first dielectric material layers, wherein the first PCM switch comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the second PCM switch comprises a third electrode and a fourth electrode, wherein the second electrode is electrically connected to the third electrode to form a common electrical node; and electrically connecting a radio-frequency (RF) antenna to the common electrical node.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: a first subset of the metal interconnect structures provides a first electrically conductive path between the first electrode and an output node of the power amplifier; and a second subset of the metal interconnect structures provides a second electrically conductive path between the fourth electrode and an input node of the power amplifier.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein: the output node of the power amplifier is the only electrical node of the semiconductor circuit to which the first electrode is electrically connected; and the input node of the low noise amplifier is the only electrical node of the semiconductor circuit to which the fourth electrode is electrically connected.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: depositing at least one metallic material layer over a topmost surface of the first dielectric material layers; and patterning the at least one metallic material layer, wherein patterned portions of the at least one metallic material layer comprise a first heater element, a second heater element, the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein: one of the patterned portions of the at least one metallic material layer comprises a metallic plate; and the second electrode and the third electrode are formed as the metallic plate.
6. 6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising: forming second dielectric material layers over the first PCM switch and the second PCM switch; and forming a metallic via structure through a bottommost layer among the second dielectric material layers on a top surface of the metallic plate, wherein the RF antenna is electrically connected to the metallic plate through the metallic via structure.
7. 7 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising: depositing a phase change material layer over the first electrode, the first heater element, the second electrode, the third electrode, the second heater element, and the fourth electrode; and patterning the phase change material layer, wherein a first patterned portion of the phase change material extends over the first electrode, the first heater element, and the second electrode, and a second patterned portion of the phase change material extends over the third electrode, the second heater element, and the fourth electrode.
8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first patterned portion of and the second patterned portion are formed as a respective portion of a single continuous phase change material portion that extends over each of the first heater element and the second heater element.
9. 9 . A method of forming a device structure, comprising: forming a semiconductor circuit on a substrate; forming a first metallic plate, a second metallic plate, a third metallic plate, a first heater element, and a second heater element on a topmost surface of first dielectric material layers, wherein the first heater element is formed between the first metallic plate and the second metallic plate, and the second heater element is formed between the second metallic plate and the third metallic plate; and forming a first phase change material (PCM) switch and a second PCM switch over the first dielectric material layers, wherein the second metallic plate is a common electrode of the first PCM switch and the second PCM switch.
10. 10 . The method of Clam 9 , wherein: the semiconductor circuit comprises a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier; and the first metallic plate is electrically connected to an output node of the power amplifier and the third metallic plate is electrically connected to an input node of the low noise amplifier.
11. 11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming metal interconnect structures within first dielectric material layers over the power amplifier and the low noise amplifier, wherein: a first subset of the metal interconnect structures provides a first electrically conductive path between the first metallic plate and an output node of the power amplifier; and a second subset of the metal interconnect structures provides a second electrically conductive path between the third metallic plate and an input node of the power amplifier.
12. 12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising: depositing a phase change material layer over the first metallic plate, the second metallic plate, the third metallic plate, the first heater element, and the second heater element; and patterning the phase change material layer, wherein a first patterned portion of the phase change material extends over the first metallic plate, the first heater element, and a first portion of the second metallic plate, and a second patterned portion of the phase change material extends over a second portion of the second metallic plate, the second heater element, and the third metallic plate, wherein the first patterned portion of and the second patterned portion are formed as a respective portion of a single continuous phase change material portion that extends over each of the first heater element and the second heater element.
13. 13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising: forming second dielectric material layers over the first PCM switch and the second PCM switch; forming a metallic via structure through a bottommost layer among the second dielectric material layers directly on a top surface of one of the first metallic plate, the second metallic plate, or the third metallic plate; and electrically connecting a radio-frequency (RF) antenna to the metallic via structure by forming the RF antenna over the second dielectric material layers or by attaching a structure including the RF antenna to an assembly containing the substrate, the first dielectric material layers, and the second dielectric material layers.
14. 14 . A device structure comprising: a semiconductor device including a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier and overlying a substrate; an interconnect structure overlying the power amplifier and the low noise amplifier; a first phase change material (PCM) switch and a second PCM switch located over the interconnect structure, wherein the first PCM switch comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the second PCM switch comprises a third electrode and a fourth electrode, wherein the second electrode is electrically connected to the third electrode to provide a common electrical node; and a radio-frequency (RF) antenna electrically connected to the common electrical node.
15. 15 . The device structure of claim 14 , wherein: the first PCM switch comprises a first heater element located between the first electrode and the second electrode; the second PCM switch comprises a second heater element located between the third electrode and the fourth electrode; and each of the first heater element and the second heater element comprises a same set of at least one metallic material as the first electrode.
16. 16 . The device structure of claim 15 , wherein: the first PCM switch comprises a first phase change material portion; the second PCM switch comprises a second phase change material portion; and the first phase change material portion and the second phase change material portion are respective portions of a single continuous phase change material portion that extends over each of the first heater element and the second heater element.
17. 17 . The device structure of claim 16 , wherein the single continuous phase change material portion laterally extends along a first horizontal direction with a substantially uniform width along a second horizontal direction, and contacts top surfaces of the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode.
18. 18 . The device structure of claim 14 , wherein the second electrode and the third electrode are formed as a single metallic plate.
19. 19 . The device structure of claim 18 , further comprising: second dielectric material layers over the first PCM switch and the second PCM switch; and a metallic via structure vertically extending through a bottommost layer among the second dielectric material layers and contacting a top surface of the single metallic plate, wherein the RF antenna is electrically connected to the single metallic plate through the metallic via structure.
20. 20 . The device structure of claim 14 , wherein: a first subset of the interconnect structures provides a first electrically conductive path between the first electrode and an output node of the power amplifier; a second subset of the interconnect structures provides a second electrically conductive path between the fourth electrode and an input node of the power amplifier; the output node of the power amplifier is the only electrical node of the semiconductor circuit to which the first electrode is electrically connected; and the input node of the low noise amplifier is the only electrical node of the semiconductor circuit to which the fourth electrode is electrically connected.

Description

BACKGROUND Phase change material switches are useful devices that may mitigate against interference due to electromagnetic radiation, and may be used for various applications such as radio-frequency applications. The phase change material switches may provide electrical connection or electrical isolation in the path of radio-frequency signals depending on the resistivity state of a phase change material portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is noted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion. FIG. 1A is a vertical cross-sectional view of an embodiment structure after formation of a semiconductor circuit, first metal interconnect structures, and first dielectric material layers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B is a top-down view of the embodiment structure of FIG. 1A. The vertical plane A-A′ is the cut plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment structure after deposition of at least one metallic material layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment structure after patterning the at least one metallic material layer into a first metallic plate, a second metallic plate, a third metallic plate, a first heater element, and a second heater element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3B is a top-down view of the embodiment structure of FIG. 3A. The vertical plane A-A′ is the cut plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment structure after formation of a dielectric material layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4B is a top-down view of the embodiment structure of FIG. 4A. The vertical plane A-A′ is the cut plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment structure after formation of thermally-conductive plates according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5B is a top-down view of the embodiment structure of FIG. 5A. The vertical plane A-A′ is the cut plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5C is a vertical cross-sectional view of a first alternative configuration of the embodiment structure after the processing steps of FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIG. 6A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment structure after formation of a phase change material layer, a first cover dielectric layer, and a second cover dielectric layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6B is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first alternative configuration of the embodiment structure after the processing steps of FIG. 6A. FIG. 7A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment structure after patterning the second cover dielectric layer, the first cover dielectric layer, and the phase change material layer into a second cover dielectric plate, a first cover dielectric plate, and a phase change material portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7B is a top-down view of the embodiment structure of FIG. 7A. The vertical plane A-A′ is the cut plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 7A. FIG. 7C is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first alternative configuration of the embodiment structure after the processing steps of FIGS. 7A and 7B. FIG. 7D is a vertical cross-sectional view of a second alternative configuration of the embodiment structure after the processing steps of FIGS. 7A and 7B. FIG. 7E is a top-down view of second configuration of the embodiment structure of FIG. 7D. The vertical plane D-D′ is the cut plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 7D. FIG. 8A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment structure after formation of second dielectric material layers, a metallic via structure, a metal pad structure, and a radio-frequency antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8B is a top-down view of the embodiment structure of FIG. 8A. The vertical plane A-A′ is the cut plane of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 8A. FIG. 8C is a vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment structure of FIGS. 8A and 8B along the vertical plane C-C′ of FIG. 8B. FIG. 8D is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first alternative configuration of the embodiment structure after the processing steps of FIGS. 8A-8C. FIG. 8E is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first alternative configuration of the embodiment structure after the processing steps of FIGS. 8A-8C. FIG. 9 is a top-down view of an alternative configuration of the embodi